THE SESSIONS
Director : Ben Levin
Year : 2013
Genre : Comedy
Rating : ****
Taking one of the most difficult and controversial subject matters possible and turning it into a hilarious, heart warming and life affirming tale, 'The Sessions' manages to entertain and move in equal measure. Telling the story of a disabled man trying to lose his virginity, 'The Sessions' is based on the essay of Mark 'O Brien, a poet who was paralysed from the neck down who endeavoured to have sex before his inevitable death. Directed by Australian filmmaker Ben Lewin and starring John Hawkes and Academy Award winner Helen Hunt, 'The Sessions' is a beautifully made, awe inspiring and fantastically acted piece of cinema that transcends it's own subject matter. While the ideas of a film revolving around a man trying to lose his virginity may sound cheap and sleazy, Lewin actually creates a story that concentrates on the beauty of love, the richness of life and the joy that one person can bring to the entire world.
Mark 'O Brien is a brilliant poet who is stricken with a paralysing form of polio. To allow his cells to respire, he must sleep in a claustrophobic iron lung which is decorated with letters and cards from well wishers. Despite his disability, he leads a happy and normal life and even falls in love with his young helper. However, while he may have everything he needs in life; friends, a loving partner and a deep centred religiosity, he has never had sex. To Mark, sex is the true moment a man becomes a man and he feels that he is missing out in life having never lost his virginity. But help is at hand when sex surrogate Cheryl agrees to help Mark cross over into the realms of adulthood and help him have sexual intercourse for the first time. Over the course of the 'sessions', they inevitably fall for each other and soon Mark realises that sex means more than just intercourse. It encapsulates love, passion and friendship all in one and maybe Cheryl is the key to true happiness.
In the hands of a more unreliable or immaturely minded director, 'The Sessions' could have been a sleazy and repugnant romp that mimics the Judd Apatow school of filmmaking; full of sexual puns, awkward conversations and wince enducing scenes of toe curling embarrassment. However, in the hands of Ben Lewin who also writes the brilliant screenplay, the movie actually becomes a beautiful tale of love, life and friendship. Taking both the restrictions of disability and the freedom of movement, Lewin is able to make all the characters in the movie relatable, poetic and deeply moving by bringing the two worlds together in a completely realistic way. Combining the quiet and emotion based performance of John Hawkes and the headstrong and physical based performance by Helen Hunt, Lewin creates a script which is extremely evocative and almost supernaturally optimistic. Like 'Robot & Frank', 'The Sessions' shows us that disability is no barrier and that even the most physically impaired can still enjoy a full and rewarding life. However, where 'Robot & Frank' lost it's way when it became more of a novelty film rather than a tome about Alzheimer's and the gradual loss of precious memories and identity, 'The Sessions' expands the material beyond it's source and becomes so much more than a simple story of a man losing his virginity. It becomes an essay on a human being who like everyone else is just searching for happiness and eventually, true love. It is the universality of 'The Sessions' that makes it so touching and ultimately, uplifting.
In the hands of a more unreliable or immaturely minded director, 'The Sessions' could have been a sleazy and repugnant romp that mimics the Judd Apatow school of filmmaking; full of sexual puns, awkward conversations and wince enducing scenes of toe curling embarrassment. However, in the hands of Ben Lewin who also writes the brilliant screenplay, the movie actually becomes a beautiful tale of love, life and friendship. Taking both the restrictions of disability and the freedom of movement, Lewin is able to make all the characters in the movie relatable, poetic and deeply moving by bringing the two worlds together in a completely realistic way. Combining the quiet and emotion based performance of John Hawkes and the headstrong and physical based performance by Helen Hunt, Lewin creates a script which is extremely evocative and almost supernaturally optimistic. Like 'Robot & Frank', 'The Sessions' shows us that disability is no barrier and that even the most physically impaired can still enjoy a full and rewarding life. However, where 'Robot & Frank' lost it's way when it became more of a novelty film rather than a tome about Alzheimer's and the gradual loss of precious memories and identity, 'The Sessions' expands the material beyond it's source and becomes so much more than a simple story of a man losing his virginity. It becomes an essay on a human being who like everyone else is just searching for happiness and eventually, true love. It is the universality of 'The Sessions' that makes it so touching and ultimately, uplifting.
John Hawkes is just perfect as the paralysed 'O Brien, whose bright outlook on life and overwhelming positivity shapes all those around him. An unlikely magnet to the women and close friends with every man he encounters, Hawkes plays a man who touches the lives of every one he knows and loves. Reduced to sleeping in an iron lung, 'O Brien refuses to live his life as a vegetable and is keen to explore the world he adores so much. Always shopping and having fun, his character shows us all that despite physical differences we are all the same; each of us wants fun, joy and love in our lives and by God, Mark is willing to fight for it. His scenes with Helen Hunt are also awkwardly moving and his vulnerability and self awareness is both sweet and funny. Many of us will have experienced the nerves and terror of falling in love for the first time and the physical obligations that come with it. In Hawkes' voice and body language we see a part of ourselves; the part which is ashamed of our bodies and the worries about disappointing and failing as a partner. It is amazing that this humble and delightful character is played by the same man who terrified me so much as the evil cult leader in the hugely underated 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' in which he played a man who was obessed with sex and the pleasures of forbidden love. Talk about of change of character dynamics.
Helen Hunt is as majestic as always as the professional but emotional sex surrogate who is torn between the ethics of giving a disabled man true happiness and the impact that her job has on her family. However, the movie doesn't really explore this side of the story and these are moments that I wish the director had expanded on. We see very little of Cheryl's social and familial and I would have liked to have seen how her job affected both her family and the relationship she has with her husband, as well as the admittedly brilliant scenes of 'the sessions'. Despite this slight niggle, the chemistry between both Hunt and Hawkes is just brilliant and their scenes are in part both hilariously uncomfortable and deeply moving. For the role, Hunt completely strips for the role and we see a number of scenes of graphic nudity involving oral sex and real penetrative sex. For many people, this will be the tipping point. Many may put them off seeing the film entirely and the prudish members of the audience may feel incredibly uncomfortable during these moments. To me however, the sex scenes are the entire point of the film and the nudity is necessary to create both a reality and a strange empathy for her character. It is very brave for a fully fledged actress to be so open about their bodies and their sexuality and it is so wonderful to see an actress bare all without having any of the prejudices or concerns that dog the movie industry today. Completely believable and totally brilliant, Hunt was nominated for an Academy Award, but sadly lost to Anne Hathaway's heart rendering performance in 'Les Miserables'. I mentioned in my 'The Impossible' review that it is a shame that the Oscars are restricted to rewarding only one winner as both Naomi Watts and Anne Hathaway give the performances of their lives and that multiple awards should be given in the same category. I now retract that statement and claim that 3 people should have won the Academy Award for Best Actress last year; Anne Hathaway, Naomi Watts and Helen Hunt.
As I mentioned earlier in my review, the graphic and frank nature of the film will put some people off, just as the sex scenes in 'Shame' and 'Black Swan' startled many members of their audiences. I know that I certainly wouldn't want to watch 'The Sessions' with my Mum, but I would say that if you are mature both chronologically and psychologically, then the movie should prove to be a real treat. I just wish that the film had tried to be more acerbic and controversial; showing us both the positive and negative sides of sexual surrogacy and the effect that this profession would have on a persons daily life. But this is my only gripe towards an otherwise masterpiece of a motion picture. With a fantastic cast, beautiful cinematography and a fantastic script, 'The Sessions' is a brilliantly funny and delightful piece of work that deserves to be seen by as many people as possible and may touch a chord with you that will an indelible mark on both your heart and your soul for many years to come.
As I mentioned earlier in my review, the graphic and frank nature of the film will put some people off, just as the sex scenes in 'Shame' and 'Black Swan' startled many members of their audiences. I know that I certainly wouldn't want to watch 'The Sessions' with my Mum, but I would say that if you are mature both chronologically and psychologically, then the movie should prove to be a real treat. I just wish that the film had tried to be more acerbic and controversial; showing us both the positive and negative sides of sexual surrogacy and the effect that this profession would have on a persons daily life. But this is my only gripe towards an otherwise masterpiece of a motion picture. With a fantastic cast, beautiful cinematography and a fantastic script, 'The Sessions' is a brilliantly funny and delightful piece of work that deserves to be seen by as many people as possible and may touch a chord with you that will an indelible mark on both your heart and your soul for many years to come.
FOR ALL THOSE INTERESTED IN THE
PUNK/ALTERNATIVE MUSIC SCENE, THE UPCOMING BIRMINGHAM BAND 'DRAG' IS IN NEED OF SUPPORT TO
HELP FUND THE RELEASE OF THEIR BRILLIANT DEBUT ALBUM 'NEUROTICA : A COMPENDIUM
OF TALES REGARDING BODY AND SOUL'. GO ON, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO :
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